Water

The water community on BrightTALK brings together engaged facility and supply chain management professionals. Find relevant webinars and videos on water supply, risk management, water quality and more presented by recognized thought leaders. Join the conversation by participating in live webinars and round table discussions.

The term Smart City is gaining momentum the world over, but does that mean that cities are becoming “smarter” or just looking to improve their image? What does it truly mean to be a “smart” city? And is it resonating with their residents, businesses and visitors? This briefing will look into how the smallest changes approaching city services can have a big impact on everything from security to energy and traffic to urban revitalization

Reasons to Attend:

- To understand key challenges cities are facing in the face of issues such as urbanization, environmental responses and new technologies
- To examine new ways cities are integrating smarter solutions to address seemingly unrelated services, for better quality of life and a higher tax base
- To explore how suppliers can provide comprehensive solutions to such a fragmented market

Connected homes are prime examples of innovative applications of technology meant to enable enriched lifestyle experiences for consumers. However, allowing third parties an open access to home networks to deliver these experiences exposes both the consumer and service providers to the potential vulnerabilities of cyberspace. It is critical to understand that cyber threats require collective responsibility and accountability sharing from all stakeholders involved.

This briefing will deliberate upon the issue of cybersecurity as it pertains to the connected home environment. An expert panel comprising members of Frost & Sullivan, connected home technology leaders, and a consumer privacy advocate will provide advice and opinions with regard to addressing this disruptive trend. Industry participants will learn how to address the issue of cyber breach and maintain continued interest in living the connected experience.

- What factors are forcing change on power utilities businesses?
- Which regions are most at risk or undergoing the most rapid transformations?
- How are the most affected power utilities dealing with these threats?
- What are possible future business models for power utilities to retain strong market positions?

Energy storage is becoming an essential element in today's world. Increasing importance of renewable energy, coupled with supportive legislations that promote usage of solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbines, is driving the demand. Large-scale PV farms and offshore wind farms in the United States, China and Europe make energy storage and its future interesting and inevitable.

Given the price volatility in crude oil, many are searching for opportunities in the energy sector. The question now arises, "Where are the opportunities in this industry?" As we currently see oil prices rise, time is running out for many companies that have hedged credit exposure at higher levels and are operating at distressed levels. We will review these areas, how we have ended up at in this situation, where we may soon see distressed companies, and where hidden opportunities are arising. We'll then review how Frost & Sullivan can assist clients discover these opportunities and prepare to them to take advantage in this environment.

Why you should attend:

- Understanding the "oil-flation" boom of crude oil production
- Where we see opportunity and if M&A will be as strong as once expected
- The "Uber-zation" of US demand for refined products
- How America is dealing with the current crude oil bans and the loopholes that may bear more income than expected

The global water and wastewater network market will experience relatively high growth at a compound annual growth rate of 9.6% from 2014 through 2020. It presents a mixed bag of opportunities for clients from all segments of the market, namely pumps, pipes and allied technologies; meters, software, automation and ICT; pipe network services; and design and engineering services.

Why should you attend this webinar?

· Understand growth opportunities in developing and developed countries
· Hear key network market challenges addressed by different stakeholders
· Identify potential collaboration opportunities to build profitable partnerships across the segments in the network market
· Understand the unmet needs that will allow companies to create value for customers and communities

More than two-thirds of the Bay Area’s water is imported from outside the region. Today these supplies are regularly threatened by drought, earthquakes, water quality impairments and new regulations on availability and usage — risks that will intensify with future climate change. Meanwhile, our region of 7 million people will add 2 million more by 2040. Do we have the water we need to support our projected population growth? And what are the most sustainable and reliable ways to supply our future water needs?

SPUR's report Future-Proof Water, presented by Laura Tam, analyzes the Bay Area’s current water supplies and future growth projections, then recommends the best tools for meeting our water needs — both in the near term and through the end of the century.

The Governor’s California Water Action Plan (CWAP) released in January 2014 is a five-year plan outlining the ten central actions towards a sustainable water management. In January 2015, California Natural Resources Agency, California EPA and Department of Food and Agriculture released the CWAP Implementation Report, which highlights achievements to date and outlines activities for the next four years. Manucher Alemi will provide an overview of the CWAP and the Proposition 1 to achieve sustainable water management along with DWR’s roles, including expanding water conservation and water use efficiency.

Onsite water resources including rainwater catchment and greywater can be used to decrease or eliminate net water demand of commercial and residential developments. Integrated design incorporating smart water-efficient landscape design with water re-use systems result in "Closed Loop Design". New practices such as bringing rainwater into the house for domestic, non-potable use and using grey water to irrigate landscapes with native and drought tolerant plants with innovative irrigation techniques, may be the future of development in California and beyond as water resources become more scarce and unreliable.

The Stanford University water conservation project is a collaboration between Stanford and FishNick and it all started at the 2014 Annual PG&E water showcase! The goal of this project is to establish baseline water and energy use for old dishwashers in large kitchens and also to identify operational changes that can easily be implemented to improve efficiency of water and energy use by kitchen staff.

In our presentation we will review: elements needed for setting up this project, site selection, and analysis of metering and temperature data from the old and new dishwasher and kitchen processes in a large university kitchen. The data collected by FishNick is used to establish the baseline water and energy use for old inefficient equipment. By reviewing the kitchen operations and understanding staff needs and actions, additional kitchen equipment, maintenance, and efficiency improvements will be implemented. Comparing the water and energy use for the baseline conditions with consumption after the new equipment and processes are in place, helps quantify the potential for water and energy savings and a simple payback for equipment costs.

Ken Baerenklau will present the results of a study conducted at UC Riverside that examined the effects of switching from uniform to budget-based rates in the Eastern Municipal Water District of Southern California. The study utilized ten years of monthly water bills for 12,000 customers in EMWD’s service area to calibrate a household water demand model and then estimate the effects of the budget-based rate structure on water demand after controlling for average price level, weather, and income. The rate structure appears to have reduced demand by 10-15% primarily by causing previously inefficient households to become more efficient.

The second presentation, by Tim Barr, Western’s Deputy Director of Water Resources, will outline the Western Municipal Water District implementation of a water budget-based rate structure for its retail water customers. Western’s unique approach uses real-time, microzone-specific, evapotranspiration data and modified monthly turfgrass coefficients from UC research to calculate accurate landscape water budgets on a daily basis. Western’s finance and water efficiency staff collaborated with rate and horticultural consultants to develop a structure that safeguards the financial integrity of the District, provides each unique customer with the water they need, and sends appropriate pricing signals based on efficient water use with every water service bill. In 2015, Western linked the rate structure and the District’s shortage contingency program in anticipation of reduced water supplies due to statewide drought.

California Bay Area weather is some of the most difficult to predict across the United States due to microclimates and complex topography, yet the National Weather Service and emergency management agencies seldom are required to issue severe weather-related warnings. When moisture deficit is not on everyone’s minds, California weather is like a soldier’s life: 99% boredom and 1% panic. Infrequent so-called ‘atmospheric river’ events are the primary driver behind flooding-related hazards along the central CA coast and Bay Area, and also play a leading role in our state’s water supply. In contrast, during times of water shortage, the forecasting challenges remain while the continual emergency of drought persists over years. The National Weather Service, as part of NOAA, implements a Hydrology Program at a local level for water-related decision support and teams with other local, regional, and national resource agencies to provide information pertaining to both flooding and drought.

This presentation will provide an introduction to the National Weather Service: where we’re located, what we do, and how we partner with agencies, the media, and our customer base (local citizens). We’ll also discuss how both flooding and drought are monitored and predicted, and what data and tools are publicly available that may be used as a catalyst for wise green building design that affords hazard resilience. A modicum of discussion on what the future climate portends for Bay Area water balance will also be provided.

How actively are California’s green buildings addressing water conservation and management? What can we do to catalyze an even greater focus on the state’s top environmental priority in these buildings? New research reveals insights from 1,300+ LEED-certified buildings in California and offers new approaches to leverage buildings as part of the solution to the current water crisis.

Sierra Business Council's Water Energy Nexus Study analyzes the potential to increase energy and water savings by improving the operational efficiency of several small to intermediate sized, Sierra foothill water agencies/districts with a focus on minimizing water losses and improving pumping efficiency.

For over ten years, East Bay Municipal Utility District has offered rebates for converting ornamental lawn to sustainable landscaping. Hear Michael Hazinski provide a water utility perspective on the trends in consumer acceptance of sustainable landscaping and a comprehensive approach to implementing landscape water conservation incentives.

Jodie Sheffield, Sod Development Expert from Delta Bluegrass Company will introduce you to their water saving California Native Sod products. The presentation and discussion will focus on: how to choose the right native sod for your project, water wise irrigation management, and how to maintain native sod.

Stormwater professionals have been studying stormwater control measures for decades, and foresters have been studying and growing urban trees for centuries. But the practice of combining the two to use trees as a Stormwater Control Measure is in its infancy. Recent results showing water quality benefits for urban tree/soil systems equal to and surpassing that of many traditional bioretention systems will be presented. As research is rapidly discovering ways to enhance performance of bioretention and urban tree/soil systems, this presentation will also highlight some of the most promising new developments, such as, for example, use of various soil amendments to enhance water quality performance, as well as design strategies to maximize stormwater volume and water quality benefits.

The 50% decline in oil prices since August 2014 has shaken up the energy sector, with oil companies slashing investment in new exploration projects. However, the decline in price has raised wider questions about investment across the power sector, including gas and renewable energy.

The efficient use of resources continues to be a hot issue, and technologies related to buildings, lighting and water continue to increase in prominence.

Join the briefing to discover:
- The top 15 trends that will impact the Energy & Environment sector in 2015
- The role technology is playing in solving the challenge posed by global warming and scarcity of resources
- Details of the evolution in business models currently taking place

This webinar will address:
• Cutting-edge technologies evolving to enable WHR
• Impending changes in the industrial WHR market
• Industries poised to gain the most benefit from WHR

Opportunities in the WHR market vary as several product developers explore different ways to increase energy efficiency. This webinar will help WHR developers identify target end-user segments and refine product offerings. Stakeholders in industries with high energy use such as the cement, glass, and oil and gas industries should attend to discover how WHR can help mitigate tightening energy budgets

Shale gas has shaken up the US energy market and the impacts continue to ripple into other regions. The growth of renewables and localized generation has further impacted European markets, causing major headaches for incumbent utilities and regulators. In APAC, utilities continue to try to meet increased demand.

In this briefing, Frost & Sullivan highlights the key trends and challenges faced by the sector in the coming years.

Power Utilities in Asia Pacific will use energy storage systems to maintain grid stability, integrate renewable energy and reduce the reliability of back-up and remote grids on diesel. Reduction in storage cost below $300/kW and increase in charging-discharging efficiency of the system will drive the use of ESS for applications like peak shaving and power arbitrage.

The microgrid market in the Asia Pacific region has been growing slow in the past few years. The briefing shall cover how the market environment differ by country, and what are the key requirements and application of microgrids in the region. The various factors that strangle or push its way forward in the region.

Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste has become a major concern in Europe, driven by legal requirements regarding waste reduction, recycling and diverting waste material resources away from landfilling. The gradual increase of waste and limited landfill space boost recycling efforts, which benefits the development of the C&D waste recycling services market. Legislative goals are targeting 70% recycling of C&D waste by 2020, which is a key driver for this market. The push for C&D waste recycling has further prompted waste management companies to optimize collection systems and increase recycling levels to sustain market revenues. Optimization of collection and recycling technologies is expected to increase revenue for C&D waste recycling companies. This briefing provides top-level insight of the analysis conducted on the European C&D Waste Recycling sector for the forecast period from 2012 to 2020.

Legislation will be the key driver for the ballast water treatment systems (BWTS) market globally with significant developments that include the expected ratification of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) convention in 2014. Furthermore, the recent acceptance of the IMO convention by Germany, raising the dead weight tonnage to 30.3 percent; support from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) legislation, Alternate Management System (AMS); and other national legislation's are sustaining the demand for BWTS installations.

Why You Should Attend:
· Get insights on the market growth and structure post-ratification of the IMO Convention
· Learn the strengths of AMS and the USCG regulations, and their impact on the current market scenario
· Identify current technologies that can potentially conquer the market, along with key insights on the competitive structure and statistics on the current addressable market
· Learn about ship owners’ preferences to consider retrofitting options prior to ratification and what key industry challenges the equipment suppliers face

This session will showcase the work of two innovative Bay Area design firms and demonstrate water conservation strategies at a range of scales-from broad-level planning and analysis through detailed landscape design and construction. We will look at recently completed projects as case studies for watershed management solutions that are at once beautiful and functional, and provide quantifiable benefits demonstrating water reduction, cost savings, and ecological improvements. Results from original research and prototype testing will be shared. Implementation strategies include stormwater management, plant and material selection, greywater systems, living roofs, water recycling, and irrigation best practices.

How does long-term use of greywater affect the soil? Do households reduce water consumption after installing a greywater system? How much maintenance is required? Find out the results of a comprehensive study of 83 greywater systems in California. We monitored the effects of greywater systems on soil, plant health, quality of irrigation water, household water consumption, as well as user satisfaction and maintenance. We will offer recommendations for future system design and installation based on the results of the study.

This panel presentation will explore recently-completed work by Affiliated Engineers Inc. and Sherwood Design Engineers with a focus on projects at large institutions including Stanford University and UC Berkeley. Panelists will establish that water use reduction is cost effective even in locations without drought conditions and with moderately priced water and sewer services. Panelists will also prove the viability of water-focused ecodistricts and acknowledge that client commitment to long-term water sustainability, backed by sound economics, can guide future development. Case study examples will include university campus projects, a research building, a hospital and a former Marine Corps Air Station.

This panel discussion will provide an overview of the current state of power quality equipment market and will discuss technology overviews, industry trends, key drivers, insights into important trends, and opportunities for growth in the market.

This panel discussion will provide an overview of the current state of energy storage market and will discuss technology overviews, industry trends, key drivers, insights into important trends, and opportunities for growth in the market.